Published Apr 24, 2026 | 10:08 PM ⚊ Updated Apr 24, 2026 | 11:03 PM
Commission chairman Imayam.
Synopsis: The Tamil Nadu Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Commission has sought an explanation from the Virudhunagar district administration over the continued use of the caste-linked term “Paracheri” in official records of Vadakku Achamthavilthan village. The Commission said this violates a 2025 government order mandating the removal of caste-based names, and has asked officials to clarify the delay and action taken within a week.
Acting on a South First ground report that shows the continued use of a caste-linked village name, the Tamil Nadu Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Commission has sought an explanation from the Virudhunagar district administration.
Commission chairman Imayam (V Annamalai) has written to the District Election Officer (District Collector), asking why the term “Paracheri” still appears in official records linked to Vadakku Achamthavilthan village in the reserved Srivilliputhur Assembly constituency.
The move follows a boycott call by Dalit residents of the village for the 2026 Assembly elections. They said the caste-based name continues to humiliate them.
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In a communication dated 24 April, 2026, the Commission said the Tamil Nadu government had already issued clear directions to remove caste-based names from public records.
Citing Government Order (Ms) No 313 (Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department, October 6, 2025), it said the state had instructed all local bodies and revenue authorities to remove or rename caste-based identifiers in habitations, streets, roads, water bodies and revenue villages.
Despite this, the Commission said:
It added that residents boycotted the April 23, 2026 Assembly elections because the name was not changed. The Commission has asked the District Election Officer to submit a detailed explanation within one week, seeking:
The letter also cites communications from the Municipal Administration, Rural Development, and the Revenue Administration and Disaster Management Commissionerate, showing the issue has been under consideration across departments since 2025.
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In the northern part of Achamthavilthan revenue village, more than 60 families from the Paraiyar community live in a segregated cluster. Over time, the locality came to be called “Paracheri”, a name residents say is now used both socially and in official records.
It appears in voter lists, Aadhaar, PAN and bank records, while land records still carry the original village name. This split keeps the caste label in daily use.
Residents say this has fixed caste identity in everyday life.
“Wherever we go, the moment we mention our village name, people identify our caste,” said A. Abi, a PhD scholar from the village.
For more than 15 years, residents have petitioned authorities—from the Tahsildar to the Chief Minister—to rename the locality “North Achamthavilthan”.
S.V. Kumar, who leads the effort, said the effect goes beyond administrative inconvenience.
“When we say our village name, others immediately correct it to ‘Paraicheri’. That moment is humiliating,” he said.
RTI responses show the renaming proposal has moved through multiple levels of administration:
Frustrated by delays, residents announced a boycott of the 2026 Assembly elections. The village has 113 voters.
Election officials who met them on 4 April urged them to participate, saying action could follow after the elections. Residents refused.
But on 23 April, most of them voted, hoping for change.
For North Achamthavilthan residents, the demand is simple: to live without a name that marks them by caste.
“No matter how far we progress, the moment we say our village name, people’s perception changes,” Abi said.
Kumar added, “If you can say your village name without hesitation and I cannot, that itself shows the difference in dignity. That is why we are fighting.”
